In spite of the stylish trends following this section, cooking equipment designs and diagnostics are realitively simple and have remained stable across brands for many decades. Self-cleaning ovens can get nasty occasionally when they lock up in self-clean but we can help with them. Glass tops have evolved to be reliable and usable. Once you understand the four types, gas and electric cooktops and gas and electric ovens you are ready to repair any brands of any age. Combining the two to make a range does not change diagnosis. Even the occasional dual fuel range has identical logic. Look at the following examples of typical cooking equipment to gain a comfort level of what you will see in homes. There has been very little change in 40 years. You will find specific repairs detailed under "Range & Oven Basics".
Kenmore Codes
Learning to Decipher Kenmore's Root Manufacturers. Since Sears represents 50% of the appliance work and does not manufacture anything, study the Kenmore Codes pdf link to learn how to tell what you are really working on. For an in depth discussion of brand confusion see my help page>>.
Trends in Cooking Appliances - Ranges, Cooktops and Ovens (A range or stove includes both a cooktop and oven)
Vulcan Range - True Commercial
Prior to 1980 most homes had a range, back then called a stove. Then along came Formica countertops and built in cabinetry. Styles gradually changed and fashionable homes began to install a cooktop in their countertop and an oven in a wall cabinet. Folks with a "range" were considered quite old fashioned. This style continues today with the addition of a center island and the "must have", totally impractical, granite tops; now upscale homes brag about their "commercial range". These new, very large units are manufactured to look just like a restaurant range but designed to function in a home. True commercial ranges require 6" clearance around them, seldom have computers and get very hot on the outside - hot enough to burn children. They often have standing pilots and are designed to operate constantly. See the linked FAQ on commercial ranges for a complete understanding of the difference between real commercial and "pro-style".
Thermador Range "pro-style"
It is very rare to find a true commercial range in a home. Manufacturers such as Viking, Blue Star, Thermador and Bosch make a "commercial looking" model, confusingly called the "pro-style". They are nothing but stainless steel, oversized, expensive, domestic appliances with few parts suppliers, sketchy information and hard to get parts.
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Whirlpool Electric Range (Open burner style)
